Doepf



(No Model.)

R. F. LEHNDORPF.

SPRING SEAT FOR RAILWAY CARS.

No. 320,368. Patented June 16, 1885.

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RElNHAIl-DT F. LEEINDO'RFF, OF DETROIT, l\lIGIIIGAN.

SPRING-SEAT FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 320,363, dated June 16, 1885.

Application filed December 10, 1884.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REINHARD'I F. LEHN- DORFF, of Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Spring-Seats for Itailway-Oars; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specitication.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in the construction of spring-seats, such as are especially designed for railway-cars.

The obj ect of the invention is to so construct a spring-seat that by use it will never slope from the center to the front or rear, or, in other words, a seat in which the greatest depression when in use will be in the center, while the tendency of these seats as ordinarily constructed is to pitch to the front when in use, to the great discomfort of the sitter. Another object is to so construct the seat that it can be easily repaired in all its parts without the necessity of removing the covering or any part of the upholstering. Another object is to provide a durable spring-seat, easilykept in order, and kept in order at a minimum of cost.

The invention consists in constructing the seat in two parts, each having its own distinct frame, the one part carrying the seat-springs proper and the other carrying the springs which support the front and rear edges and the upholstering; in providing means for repairing or restuliing the upholstering of the seat proper without the necessity of removing the cover or any part of the upholstering; in the means employed for securing and adjusting the edge springs independently of the seatsprings; also, in the peculiar and novel construction, combination, and operation of the various parts, as more fully hereinafter de' scribed.

Figure l is a perspective view taken from the bottom of the seat-frame proper carrying the edge springs and the upholstering. Fig. 2 is a prospective view of the auxiliary frame carrying the seat-springs. Fig. is a cross- 0 section of the completed seat. Fig. tis a sectional perspective showing a section of the bottom rail of the seat proper, edge springs,

(No model) and the means employed to secure suclrsprings in place.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, A represents what I have called an auxiliary frame, adapted to be supported by the ordinary frame of a carseat, having legs and arms. This frame is composed of a bottom, a, and risers 1), upon which are secured the rails c, and the crossgirts d are secured to the rails, near the ends of such rails, so as to leave offsets a formed between the ends of the rails, the top of the riser, and the side of the girt, as shown in Fig. 2. Upon the upper surface of the bottom a are secured the coil-springsf, in series of two or more, the upper ends of said springs being secured to the webbing g, the ends of which are secured to the side rails and cross-girts in a manner well known to upholsterers. This frame is made to tit within the supportingframe of the car'seat, where it may be secured in any of the known ways that will allow it easily to be removed, if necessary, although such removal will not be necessary under ordinary circumstances.

B represents what I have denominated the seat proper, and it is composed of a frame consisting of the side rails, 71, and the crossgirts I, supported upon and secured to such side rails, so that their lower edges are upon the same horizontal plane, with recesses j formed in the lower edges of the cross-girts, which, when this frame is engaged with the frame A, will embrace the projecting ends of the rails c, and allow that portion of the crossgirts I between the recesses therein to fit into and fill the offset 0 in the frame A, when the two frames may be secured together by means of screws is, or other analagous devices that will allow the two frames to be easily taken apart when it is necessary for repairing the npholsteriug or the springs. The frame A is made sufliciently narrow so as to fit between the rails of the frame B, as shown in Fig. 3, the interlocking portions hereinbefore described holding the two frames in their relative position, with the side rails of the two frames upon coincident planes.

Upon each of the rails h of the frame 13 are secured a series of smaller spiral springs l, which are the edge springs designed to support the edges of the spring-seat proper. The

7 the edge of the slat or rail to which upper ends of these springs are secured by stitching or otherwise between the folds of a webbing, u, which preferably consists of two pieces stitched together at c'. This webbing is secured upon its ends to the cross-girts I of the seatframe B, and forms a strainer for the edge springs. A webbing, m, covering the ed ge-springs upon the outside, is stitched at its upper edge to the outer edge of the webbing u, and secured with its lower edge to the rail l1,.tl1ereby regulating the height of the edge springs.

O .is the canvas or web supporting the up bolstering. Its outer edges are secured by stitching or otherwise to the web to by means of the intervening web 'n. It will be noticed in Fig. 3, that at the normal condition of the seatthat is, if the seat is not sat uponthe web a forms a slack between the web it and the canvas O. This slack is essential for the proper operation of the springs, as it renders the action of the edge springs and seat-springs independent of each other, and the seat-springs may now be depressed to theirfull limit without affecting the edge spring, as is the case in all other seats where the supporting-canvas of the upholstering acts as a strainer for both edge and seat springs when the seat is sat upon. The canvas 0 is provided with a suitable opening, 0, for restuffing, such opening being laced, buttoned, or otherwise shut. The ends of the canvas (J are nailed or otherwise secured to the end rails of the frame A. The opening 0 is only used for restuffing the seat, as otherwise in construction the upholstering is proceeded with in the usual way, the frame B having been secured previously thereto to the frame A. The parts being thus constructed with the two frames A and B engaged, as described, the canvas (3 becomes a strainer for the seatsprings in the frame A, and the lower ends of the edge springs, which project beyond they are secured in the frame B, will rest upon the top of the rails of the frame A, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, so that the action of all these parts will cooperate to produce a springseat containing the advantages hereinbefore referred to.

Should the surface of the seat become packed or uneven, or the edge or seat-springs get out of order, the two frames are disconnected by drawing the connecting screws when all the parts are easily accessible for repair. It will readily be seen that by this method of construction there will be no necessity of removing the cover or any part of the upholstering, as the repairs to the cushion can always be made from below, as described.

It is not necessary that the means herein described for interlocking the two frames A and B be employed, as their relative positions may be secured by many other known methods. It is only necessary that when the two frames are put together the relative position as shown and herein described should be preserved, in order to secure a harmonious working together of the parts to produce the desired result.

Instead of a solid board bottom, slats for the support of the seat-springs may be used, and the seat-frames may be so constructed that the edge springs rest entirely upon the rails of the upper frame, which for that purpose are made of suitable width.

I am aware of the Patent No. 184,533, and make no claim to the construction shown therein as forming part of my invention.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A spring-seat consisting of two frames, the lower one carryingtwo or more rows or series of springs and the upper carrying the edge springs and the upholstering, the parts being constructed, combined, and operating substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In a spring-seat, having a detachable upper frame carrying the edge springs andthc upholstering, a canvas supporting the upholsterin g between the ed gesprings, and having an opening in it for restufiing, substantially as specified.

3. In a spring-seat, the lower frame carrying the springs of the seat proper, and adapted to fit Within an upper frame, and supporting it and forming a partial support for the edge springs carried by the upper frame, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a seat having edge springs and seatsprings, a strainer for the edge springs, and a strainer for the seat-springs, connected together by a slack portion of webbing, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

BEINHARDT F. LEHNDORFF.

Witnesses:

H. S. SPRAGUE, CHARLES J. HUNT. 

